Gutted for Leah Falland

When it was obvious to her she wasn't going to make the team sure look like she gave up

kokoloko wrote:

Too tired chasing the top two and hit the hurdle. It happens.

I'm not even sure she hit the steeple. I thought she just overbalanced - from fatigue.

It's the game - no one clipped her, she made a mistake. A shame but no one except herself to blame.

Karma Police wrote:

kokoloko wrote:

Too tired chasing the top two and hit the hurdle. It happens.

I'm not even sure she hit the steeple. I thought she just overbalanced - from fatigue.

It's the game - no one clipped her, she made a mistake. A shame but no one except herself to blame.

Falland clipped the top of the barrier with the knee of her trailing leg.

Tough to watch. I thought she looked a little shaky before she fell. She made her bid and it’s a rough one. Val Constien is a totally deserving person to go. 9:18 and on the upswing.

She seemed to be looking up at the TV screen in the stadium a lot on the straightaway before she clipped the barrier. She needed to focus on the track more.

zikes wrote:

Why is it more heartbreaking for her than other people that got 4th?

O'Connor made a IDIOTIC decision to try running with two of the fastest runners ever. She was safely in third, she should have known she couldn't keep up with Courtney and Emma.

She bit off more than she could chew. Her form and her fitness were not strong enough to hurdle running 70 second laps. It wasn't bad luck that she fell, it was her own damn fault for being STUPID.

You're part of the reason why people think this place is a toilet.

zikes wrote:

She wasn't close at all. She was in over her head going with Coburn and Frereichs. She was out of control on every hurdle, a fall was imminent. She ran a dumb race and paid the price.

Leah Falland made a mistake. She should have stayed with the second pack. Going with the 2 leaders made no sense at all. Racing is a combination of fitness and race IQ, and her race IQ isn't that good. Hopefully she will learn for next year, run smarter, and make the 2022 World Championships team.

How can you tell she clipped the barrier from fatigue, not inattention?

e h wrote:

So close.. tragic

Gutted is pretty accurate. She looked inconsolable after the race.

Leah is not a world class runner. This hurts her chances even in the steeplechase.

800 2:06

1500 4:11

5000 15:32

Snapshot wrote:

Leah is not a world class runner. This hurts her chances even in the steeplechase.

800 2:06

1500 4:11

5000 15:32

Wow it's like the steeplechaser focuses on PRs in the steeplechase and uses other distances to tune-up for the steeplechase. I remember a few years back Coburn or Frerichs being discussed as never being able to beat the Africans since their 3k PRs weren't significantly faster then their steeplechase PRs. Heck several top Kenyans had faster steeplechase times then 3k times since they focused on the steeplechase

4thYearFreshman wrote:

Snapshot wrote:

Leah is not a world class runner. This hurts her chances even in the steeplechase.

800 2:06

1500 4:11

5000 15:32

Wow it's like the steeplechaser focuses on PRs in the steeplechase and uses other distances to tune-up for the steeplechase. I remember a few years back Coburn or Frerichs being discussed as never being able to beat the Africans since their 3k PRs weren't significantly faster then their steeplechase PRs. Heck several top Kenyans had faster steeplechase times then 3k times since they focused on the steeplechase

At some level over a longer career this is bullshlt. She is not a world class runner and it matters. It matters a lot.

Snapshot wrote:

Leah is not a world class runner. This hurts her chances even in the steeplechase.

800 2:06

1500 4:11

5000 15:32

Easily fast enough for sub 9:20 and with luck an Olympic final, IF one is an extraordinary steepler.

Look up Frerich's 2017 or Krause's 2015 PBs in the non-steeple events. Quigley has had the best mile time of the top female US steeplers but was consistently only 3rd in the steeple.

Snapshot wrote:

samax wrote:

Heartbreaking.

Why is it heartbreaking? I am not mocking you. Please explain.

She’s a pro who’s career I’ve followed for a while. She’s had a number of setbacks over the years. I guess I got a bit invested in her buildup and was really rooting for. Unlike some other posters, I thought she had it when she went with Coburn and Freirchs. (Maybe that was wishful thinking.) I felt sad watching her outpouring of emotion after the race. Maybe heartbreaking is hyperbole though.

I think there was a good chance she would be passed by Constien even if she didn't fall. that fall is a sign of fatigue. There were 2 laps left and she was probably overextending herself running with Coburn and Frerichs plus Constien closed well. This wasn't like Jager at the last just trying to go sub 8. Plenty of race to be run at that point. She was leading Constien by what 3 seconds before the fall? She went for it too early.

Echoing what a lot of people have said: she was in over head running with the top 2 and her form started to crumble leading to the fall. We don't think she is at the level to go to Olympics unfortunately.

rhojo wrote:

I think there was a good chance she would be passed by Constien even if she didn't fall. that fall is a sign of fatigue. There were 2 laps left and she was probably overextending herself running with Coburn and Frerichs plus Constien closed well. This wasn't like Jager at the last just trying to go sub 8. Plenty of race to be run at that point. She was leading Constien by what 3 seconds before the fall? She went for it too early.

I agree. Her pb is 9:18.85. Constein beat that with 9:18.34. It would have been close, but I think Constein would’ve run her down. That might have been even more devastating for Leah

That was hard to watch.

Val Constein gave a really good post race interview. She’s very personable and well spoken. She’d represent any potential sponsor(s) really well

I can understand her not having had a sponsor to-date, having only had a 9;44 pb but hopefully she’ll get one now.